After several years of study and discussion, the Stanislaus National Forest has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on alternatives to implement the 2005 National Forest Travel Management Rule. If you haven’t heard about it, please get a copy (info below) and comment. Implementation of the USFS’ preferred alternative will mean significant changes to access to our federal forest lands.
The DEIS presents a proposed (favored) action, a no action alternative and 3 additional action alternatives and describes the environmental impacts of each. The alternatives seek to:
1. prohibit motor vehicle travel off designated National Forest Transportation System (NFTS) roads and trails by the public except as allowed by permit or other authorization (excluding snowmobile use);
2. add 157.39 miles of existing unauthorized routes to the NFTS of trails currently open to the public for motor vehicle use; and,
3. make vehicle class changes to the existing NFTS on 623.28 miles of roads. The proposed action replaces all existing seasonal closures with season of use restrictions based on elevation and wet weather closures on native surfaced routes.
For more info and details on how to formally comment, see http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/stanislaus/projects/ohv or contact Sue Warren at (209) 532-3671. The Board of Supervisors will hear a briefing on the EIS in mid-April and will comment formally, as well. A Final Environmental Impact Statement and decision are expected later this year.
Kennedy Meadows decision expected in late April. There’s little to report on the Stewardship Council’s (SC) evaluation of USFS’ and local partners’ (RCD, county, Mother Lode Land Trust) proposals to own, manage, and protect Kennedy Meadows. The SC’s evaluation team will be here in the next few weeks to ask questions about both proposals. Stay tuned – a recommendation for who should own/manage and oversee the conservation easement is expected at the April meeting of the Stewardship Council in Redding.
District Office Hours in April
Tuolumne: Weds., April 1, 10:00 – 11:30 am, Tuolumne Memorial Museum on Carter Street
Twain Harte: Weds., April 8, 10-11:30 am, Twain Harte Community Service District office on Twain Harte Drive across from the Eproson House; and
Mi-Wuk Village: Fri., April 24, 1-2:30 pm, Mi-Wuk Village Library next to the Post Office (office hours will not be held in MWV on Apr. 17th due to scheduling conflict).
Loading... 
